What I Do Currently I am a team lead for a group of 10 other engineers. We all work on the Amazon Arc Flash Refresher program. As a project manager I am in charge of communication between us and our Amazon point of contact, report review, scheduling of trips, meetings, and drafting schedules. As an engineer I go to job sites to collect data form live panels, switchgear and disconnects. From there I model it all in special programming , run reports, then place labels on the equipment. Arc flash is a large part of the safety requirements per OSHA and is vital at keep workers safe.
Why Engineering? When I was about 10 years old, I met my older sister's (who is 25 at the time) boyfriend. At the time, he worked on a NASA contract and helped build the arm that went to the international space station. When I visited, he showed me around their lab and I got to drive the prototype. It is a memory that is forever burned into my brain and was the spark that started me on my journey into engineering. I've always loved problem solving, creating schedules, and adhering to a set of guidelines while also being creative with solutions. The reason I joined electrical engineering is because I didn't have to do any chemistry. While it is important to highlight skillsets that make you successful, it is also important to recognize your weakness. For me that was covalent bonds.
School Days I went to North Carolina State University from 2017-2021 (woohoo COVID student). I earned my degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus in Renewable Electric Energy Systems. While in school I was able to participate research at one of our labs studying plate charging for electric vehicles. I also took a semester off to complete an internship with International Paper at their Georgetown Mill.
Best Part My favorite part about being an engineering is the every problem solving. A misconception about engineers is that we are not creative people. It is quite the opposite! No system, mechanical, civil, or electrical, is built the same and when problems arise, no single solution will work. Every day is different and I enjoy that. This also plays into my role of being a team lead. I lead a team of about 12 other engineers and there is always questions to be answered. Whether it be modeling questions, report questions, quotes, scheduling, and more there is always something to be fixed. My job is to keep the job running smoothly for both my engineers and the clients. The engineers are all at different skill levels and each site has different expectations. Having to multitask these scratches an itch in my brain that I have seen in many engineers.
Proud Moments One of my proudest moments in my career so far was mentoring one of our interns over the 2022 summer. Our company isn't set up to take interns as we don't have a formal program. When she came to us not only was I excited to have another female in the office, but another female engineer! It became clear to me quickly that the project manager at the time was just going to use her to insert photos into documents and not show her other aspects of the company. I set up a meeting with him and explained that she needed to see other projects and learn other programs. There was initial pushback, that she was "just an intern", but I was having none of it. Eventually she got moved onto other projects where she learned piping schematics, AutoCAD, and project scheduling/note taking. Since, we have kept in contact and I have written two letters of recommendation for her. She went on to intern for a renewables company and has not looked back. We talked a lot about careers in STEM, particularly the problems we face as women. It is truly a joy to see her grow and explore the field, seeing what she wants to do.
Challenges I have luckily not faced any major problems outwardly in my career. I have experience many microaggressions, mostly being dismissed. My suggestions were ignored in school and there have been many times while in the field where the male tech is looked at and given answers when I'm the engineer. My general response is to keep my head down and remind them who I am. I've never been aggressive about it, typically when I mention that I'm the engineer they (men) look embarrassed. I hold a strong belief that every one needs to learn and it's not always malicious. We live in a society where there are preconceived notions about male and females in the workplace and those can be difficult to un-learn, or even realize that you hold them. There have been times it has been malicious and I have to remind myself that I belong and they are the ones in the wrong. For the most part I have been able to handle these situations myself but have brought in HR. One thing I would tell current and future women in STEM is if you do have a problem that needs to be escalated to a manager or HR and the company does not back you, get out. That is not a safe work environment any more and you are not a valued employee in their eyes.
My Family I am originally from North Carolina where both my parents currently live. I have two older half sisters, both who are married with kids and I have proudly taken the title "Crazy Aunt Gabbi". I also have a little brother who currently works as a medical device salesmen in Durham, NC. I live in Denver, CO with my "child", Zola, a 5 year old rescue cat.
Dreams and Goals My short term goal is to get my PE. I have taken and passed my FE exam and am 2 years in to my 4 year requirement for the PE level. This will not only make me more valuable but also open more opportunities in the field. My long term goal is to eventually consult independently. While working with a team is fun in a way, the goal is to be on my own schedule. Not any time soon, but I do imagine my life with a family of my own and consulting on my own time will allow me the flexibility to both work and be a mother.
Want to be an Engineer? If you want it, work for it. If you work for it, you will get it. So yes, you can get what you want and you do belong. Your career does not define who you are. Yes I work as a engineer, but I am not just an engineer if that makes sense. I am a friend, a runner, a reader, a dancer, a daughter, an aunt, a cat-lover, a biker, a kind person, a giving person, etc. All these different aspects of you make you, not your career.
Hobbies Outside of work, you'll hardly find me sitting down. I am currently training for a half-marathon, marathon, and a sprint triathlon this year alone! This means I am running, biking and swimming through the week and weekends. I particularly love trail running -- more snacks are involved and the views are like nothing else. My indoor hobbies including cooking, baking, crocheting, and reading (mostly fantasy novels)!